App of the Day: How does your garden grow

Is that thing in your flower bed a weed or flower? This app will find out.

I’ve got this thing growing in my flower bed and I don’t know whether I should cut it down, dig it up or feed it.

Unless you’re a horticulturist or flower expert, this has become a common question in the spring and summer. Is it a weed or a flower? Is it something that’ll add color or shape to your flower bed or yard? Or should you pull it up before it chokes out plants you want?

The app “PictureThis”, for iPhones and Android devices, brings an encyclopedia of knowledge to the smartphone you always have with you.

Using your smartphone’s camera, frame the flower or leaf into a diagram and snap a picture. Using artificial intelligence, “PictureThis” scans the image, compares it to thousands of similar leaves and, using your location, generates a most excellent guess at what you’ve got.

I tried it on that thing growing in my flower bed and PictureThis says it’s a dogwood.

Another unknown thing growing in another bed is an American Black Cherry, otherwise known as a hackberry tree. 

If it isn’t recognized by the app, the PictureThis community will chime in to help you. The community is very active.

PictureThis is a free app for identifying 10 plants. For unlimited identifications, there is a $1.99 per month subscription.